The Round Table Reunites
by xlalady
Summary: It's modern day and Merlin has waited nearly 1,500 years for this. Gwen is the first to remember, and now he and Gwen must find Arthur and the knights and make them remember the past.
1. Chapter 1 - Gwen

Notes: In case it isn't clear, this is a continuation from where the show left off (not the exact scene, but same time period) and Merlin is still old for now.

* * *

Merlin was walking through the crowded streets on his way to his favorite bakery in the city. His joints were aching slightly from the walk from his apartment, but he always preferred to walk rather than take a taxi. He liked the fresh air and taking the time to enjoy the scenery. He only wished he was still young so he could enjoy more.

He stopped to admire one of the cherry trees when someone crashed into him. The force of the impact sent them both to ground.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" the woman asked worriedly.

He looked up to see who had run into him and froze. He was met with warm brown eyes and dark curly hair.

 _Gwen,_ he thought in amazement.

He stared at her with wide eyes until he realized she was expecting an answer. "It's fine, everything seems to be in working order. No need to apologize," he assured with a weak smile.

"No, it's all my fault, I was in a hurry and I wasn't looking where I was going and–" She suddenly cut off and her expression changed as if she was looking at something familiar, but couldn't place where it's from. _Probably me_ , he thought.

"I'm sorry, have we met? You look…very familiar."

Merlin looked into her eyes. There was certainly recognition, but not remembrance. "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't forget such a pretty face."

Gwen smiled at the complement. "I'm sorry, I just– You just look really familiar."

"I have that kind of face," he joked, making Gwen chuckle.

She stood up, then helped Merlin to his feet. "Well, I'm sorry again for bumping into you. I'll have to be more careful next time."

"It's not a problem. Have a nice day."

"Thank you, you too," she replied kindly, then started walking away.

Merlin wasn't sure what to do. He stood there, frozen, thinking. If Gwen had been reincarnated, then what about the others? Was it time? But…she didn't remember. Maybe they weren't supposed to remember? Or maybe their memories needed to be awakened. What was he supposed to do? Go after her? Maybe–

"Merlin?"

He whipped around at the sound of his name. Gwen was looking at him in disbelief. "Gwen?" he asked, unsure.

Her face light up in a huge smile and she ran towards him. "Merlin!" she shouted as she wrapped him in a bone crushing hug. "It is you."

Merlin laughed joyfully. "It's me."

She pulled back to look at him in amazement. "You're so…different."

"It's alright, Gwen, you can call me old, I won't be offended," he teased.

She lightly slapped his arm. "Shut up." They stood in silence a few moments, taking each other in. "Merlin… What happened? Why am I remembering?"

Merlin took a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know. You're the first person I've met from back then, so I don't really know what's happening."

"Well we have to figure out what's going on."

"I know. Let's, um, let's go to my apartment for some tea and then we can talk."

Gwen pondered a minute. "Alright. Lead the way."

Ten minutes later and Merlin was showing Gwen into his sparsely decorated apartment. There was a small kitchen that shared the space with a cramped living room and a door leading to the bedroom and a door leading to the bathroom. The living room had white walls, a plain coffee table, an old yellow plaid couch, and an even older tv sitting on a wooden cabinet. A few nondescript landscape photos decorated the walls.

"Please, sit down. I'll make us some tea," Merlin said, gesturing to the couch.

Gwen walked into the living room and sat on the couch, taking in her surroundings. Then she looked to Merlin who was moving about the kitchen, making tea. "I don't know why, but I expected a bit more decoration."

Merlin looked around his apartment. "I used to have a lot more. Not in this apartment, but an old one. It was amazing-not the apartment, but all the decorations. It was colorful and cramped with things from every corner of the world," he said with reverence.

"What happened?"

"Well...it was too noticeable. I've been trying to keep a low profile, so...small, crappy apartments, with crappy decorations," Merlin replied sadly.

"Well, the beard is definitely working with the low profile. I barely recognized you," Gwen said, trying to change the topic from something that clearly upset him.

"That's right, you passed before I grew it."

"Yeah, well, not much you can do about a plague, even with magic," she said.

"Yeah. You did a lot of great things, Gwen, but you could've done so much more," he replies regretfully.

"I wasn't that young, I had been queen for many years, it was my time." There was silence for a few moments as Merlin pulled out some mugs and teabags.

"So…why do you need to keep a low profile? I assume that's why you're old?"

Merlin paused. His back was towards Gwen. "Well…that's a long story, but basically? I'm immortal and ever since Arthur died I've been waiting here for him to return."

"You've been here? All this time?" Gwen asked incredulously.

Merlin filled the two mugs with water and boiled the water with magic. He put a tea bag in each cup and brought them over, setting one on the table in front of Gwen as he sat down next to her.

"Well, maybe not the _entire_ time. After you died, I stayed in Camelot for many years. Watched many kings rise and fall. But then I started to branch out. I explored other neighboring kingdoms, then went farther. Across the seas. Of course, I never left for long, I didn't want to miss Arthur's return. But I've been all over the world many times," Merlin told her, getting slightly lost in the memories. "I haven't left in a while though, thus the need for the low profile. Eventually someone would realize that I'm not aging, or dying. So every ten, fifteen years or so it's a new apartment, a new grocery store, a new coffee shop," he trailed off.

"And you've been alone the whole time?" she asked sadly.

Merlin chuckled. "Not at all. I've made lots of friends during my travels and my stays here. But I suppose watching them all die has been quite lonely," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Oh, Merlin," Gwen gasped. She grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. "I suppose if you're immortal you'll outlive me again, but right now, you're not alone. You have me. And I'm sure that Arthur and the other knights will find their way to us again. You won't be alone."

Merlin smiled at Gwen's determination. "You haven't changed a bit, Guinevere," he said, making her smile.

"So why am I remembering now? Why am I back now?"

Merlin's face turned dark at her questions. "Well, it's not exactly a good thing," he said hesitantly.

"Tell me," she said earnestly.

"Well, when Arthur died, the Great Dragon told me that he would rise again when Albion's need is greatest. Which means, if it's not just you, if Arthur is here somewhere, something is about to happen. Something bad. Worse than anything I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot," he finished ominously.

She swallowed nervously. "Well, we'll just have to face it head on, like any other problem we've faced."

"Your bravery does you credit." He smiled.

Then her phone went off, disrupting the moment. She rummaged through her purse in confusion and pulled out her phone. "Lancelot!" she exclaimed, jumping up, when she read the screen.

"Lancelot's calling you?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"No! Well, yes. He's– It's–" she tried to explain, waving her hands in the air. She let out a breath. "He goes by Lance now."

"What?" he asked, even more confused.

She sighed and sat back down. "I ran into you because I was in a hurry because I was late for my date with Lancelot. I completely forgot with everything that happened. He's been my boyfriend for the past year."

Merlin chuckled and grinned playfully. "You're dating Lancelot?" he teased.

"Stop it," she fussed, but smiled anyway.

"No, I'm happy for you," he promised earnestly.

"Oh my gosh, what about Arthur?" she exclaimed. "I mean, I love him, but I love Lancelot too, oh, but he _is_ my husband–"

"Gwen, calm down. Don't worry about that right now," Merlin said, taking her hands in his in a reassuring manner. "I'm sure it's...confusing with all these conflicting emotions from your two lives coming to you all at once, but you'll figure it out. Just...take some time to sort through everything and figure out how you really feel. I doubt Lancelot will expect you to make a decision right away."

She took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right."

"Things like this have a way of working themselves in the end."

"I suppose." Gwen smiled. "Well at least we have some good news."

"What?"

"We found Lancelot," she answered smugly. Then her eyes widened. "And Elyan! He's still my brother."

Merlin laughed. "Goodness, Gwen. Got any more knights hiding up your sleeve?" he joked.

"I'm afraid not, but we have to get Lancelot and Elyan over here soon so they can remember."

Just then her phone went off again, startling them both. "Is that Lancelot? You should answer it."

"And tell him what?" she hissed. "That he's not Lance, he's actually a medieval knight that served King Arthur, he just doesn't remember?"

"I meant you should tell him that you won't make your date," he replied flatly.

"Oh," she said, a slight tinge of pink across her cheeks. "You're probably right." She stood up and took her phone and hit accept, bringing it to her ear. "…Hey Lance, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make our date…Why? Because…my, um, dog got hit by a car…Well, obviously not _my_ dog because we don't _have_ a dog, it was, um…"

Merlin snickered. "Shut up," she snapped. "No, no, no, not you…no, I know you didn't say anything," she said into the phone. She closed her eyes and raised a hand to her temple in annoyance, pacing back and forth. "The dog? Right, the dog…No, the dog's okay, it's fine…It belongs to an old lady I was passing, it ran into the road out of nowhere and the lady was so distressed so I was comforting her…Right now? I'm, uh…taking it and the old lady to the vet…No, I know I said it was fine, but I, uh, just meant it's alive. It's got a, um, a limp, and the old lady can't drive, so I'm taking them to the vet. Alright, gotta go, love you, bye," she said in a rush and hung up. She slumped onto the couch with a big sigh.

"You are a terrible liar, Gwen," Merlin said laughing.

"I know I am. And if that didn't sound the like most suspicious excuse ever," she said with a chuckle.

"So, how soon can you bring them over?" Merlin asked.

Gwen thought about it for a moment. "Well, I can bring Lance over tomorrow, but Elyan is on a trip and won't be back for nearly a month."

"Well, let's start with Lance then."

"I'll bring him tomorrow, say 2:00?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Now, Merlin, I want to hear all about your life."

* * *

Notes: Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated. :)

Next chapter is Lancelot. Also, this ends once everyone remembers and will not continue with them facing whatever's coming. I don't have the imagination for that.

There will be eight chapters, one for each character, but I don't know what the posting schedule will like, so sorry. It might take a while.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lancelot

Notes: So, sorry it took so long to update. I wanted to write this chapter he weekend after I posted the first one, but then we went camping and I couldn't write, then I just kinda lost my motivation to write it and I didn't want to force myself to write and end up with a crappy chapter. I wish I could promise that the other chapters will come faster, but I honestly don't know. I will try to update faster, but no promises.

Also, there will now be nine chapters because I thought of another character I will add.

* * *

 _Knock Knock._

Merlin looked towards the door from his spot on the couch. "It's open," he rasped.

The door was opened hesitantly and Gwen peeked her head around. Her face lit up when she saw Merlin and he returned the smile. She stepped fully into the apartment, pulling someone in behind her. With a grunt, Merlin put down his book and stood to greet his guests.

And there was Lancelot.

Merlin's memories of Camelot grew fuzzier by the day. He would never forget, he was certain, but the little details had begun to slip his mind. Like how kind Gwen's eyes were or how warm Lancelot's smile was.

But now Lancelot was standing right in front of him again, bringing back memories as if they had happened yesterday. Their first meeting, Merlin forging the papers to help him be a knight, him actually becoming a knight years later, him stepping into the veil…

Merlin shook off that train of thought.

There was a slightly awkward moment where he and Gwen stared at Lancelot in expectation, but nothing happened. Lancelot cleared his throat and Gwen snapped out of it. "Right," she said, "Lance, this is Merlin, my godfather, like I told you about." She turned to face Merlin with a look that said, _just go with it_. "Merlin, my boyfriend Lance."

"Pleasure to meet you, young man." Merlin stuck out his hand which Lancelot took in a firm shake. "Gwen has told me all about you."

Lance let out a huff of embarrassment. "The pleasure is all mine, and I'm afraid I have not heard nearly as much about you. But I understand that you a very important to Gwen so I look forward to getting to know you," he said politely.

Merlin and Gwen stared at him again, waiting for him to remember. Lancelot smiled awkwardly. "Is there something on my face?"

Gwen blushed at getting caught and Merlin coughed and looked down before meeting his gaze again. "Sorry, you just remind me of someone I used to know."

"Really? Who?" he asked.

"Just an old friend I knew long ago," Merlin replied with a sad tone. Lance could tell there was more to the story, but didn't push it. Merlin cleared his throat. "Well, why don't you two take a seat and I will fix us some tea."

* * *

One hour later, Merlin had learned that Lance worked as a nurse at the local hospital and he loved it, his favorite food was spaghetti from the Italian joint a few blocks away, and he had been completely besotted with Gwen from the moment he met her.

Unfortunately, he only remembers meeting her a year ago, when Gwen's brother was in the hospital after a car crash and not 1500 years ago when he was trying to become a knight.

Merlin knew that Lancelot was probably a little uncomfortable because he and Gwen weren't exactly being unsubtle with all their staring, but, like the gentleman he was, he chose to ignore it.

Lancelot looked down at his watch and let out a sigh. "Well, Merlin, it has been a pleasure meeting Gwen's godfather, but I'm afraid my shift starts soon, so we should probably be leaving."

"Yes, of course. It's been good to meet the man Gwen is so crazy about," Merlin said as they all stood up. Gwen shot Merlin a panicked look as they started walking towards the door. "But, um, Gwen," he blurted, causing them to stop. "I have that thing your father asked for and I was hoping you would deliver it since you're closer, if you would just…" he trailed off, gesturing with his head towards the bedroom.

Gwen looked confusing for a second before quickly catching on. "Oh of course, the thing, yeah," she said, nodding enthusiastically. Internally Merlin sighed at how suspicious it probably sounded, but Lance either didn't notice or was polite enough to pretend not to. Gwen turned to Lance. "Right, so, I have to get this thing, so why don't you go and wait in the car, it'll only be a minute."

Lance raised an eyebrow, but acquiesced. "Right, well, Merlin, good meeting you. I guess I'll be in the car," he said, pointing towards the door.

"I hope to see you again soon," Merlin said. Lancelot smiled and left.

Gwen turned to Merlin as soon as the door shut. "He didn't remember," she panicked.

"I know."

"But why didn't he remember? I remembered almost immediately."

"Calm down, Gwen," he said, reaching down and squeezing her hands. "Maybe not everyone's meant to remember," he suggested.

"But that can't be, he has to remember," she insisted. "I mean… It's hard. Having back my memories, having two lives in my head. I mean, it's only been a day, so I suppose I'll get used to it, but still… I wouldn't trade anything to have them taken away. They are as much a part of me as my memories of this life and I hate to think what might've happened had I never remembered. And now? Now I get to be reunited with the people I love most, and they deserve the same."

Merlin smiled at Gwen's heartfelt speech. "Well, maybe Lancelot just needs a little nudge to help him remember."

Gwen's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

There was a gleam in Merlin's eye as he answered. "Magic."

"Of course," she exclaimed with a matching gleam.

Nobody had been more eager to learn about magic than Gwen. After Arthur's unfortunate demise, Gwen had returned magic to Camelot and made Merlin the official Royal Sorcerer. Of course, it hadn't happened immediately, it had taken a long time to earn acceptance. Years before she could truly put it into law and Merlin could stop hiding who he was, but that time was spent subtly reintroducing the idea of magic.

But even after, prejudice remained, it was never fully accepted. Magic never reached where it once before the Great Purge before it slowly died out and faded into myth.

"I don't remember a spell for this exact situation, but I'm sure there's a memory spell out there that will work. So why don't you and Lance go home and I will look through my archives for some spells that might work. I'll text you when I find something," he promised.

Gwen looked relieved. "Well, I hope you find something soon."

"Me too." He pulled Gwen into a tight hug. "I'm glad you remembered. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't." He pulled back. "Now go, don't keep Lancelot waiting."

* * *

It was nearly a week later when Merlin felt confident he could restore Lancelot's memories. After searching through his hidden underground vaults, he had amassed a sizeable list of memory spells and potions. He was sure at least one of them would work.

Merlin texted Gwen with his latest progress and they made plans for the following afternoon.

When Gwen and Lance arrived the next day, Merlin ushered them to the couch and said he would make tea. Making sure his back was towards them so they couldn't see what he was doing, he dropped some ground-up ginger into one of the cups and whispered the incantation, " _Gebreadian gemynda_."

He brought the tea over and handed one cup to Gwen and one to Lance, then settled beside Gwen on the couch with his own cup. Lance was sitting on the fold out chair Merlin had brought out the last time they were there.

He tried to watch discreetly as Lance took his first sip. A few seconds went by and nothing happened.

He took another sip.

Nothing happened.

"This tea is very good," Lancelot exclaimed. "What's in it?"

"Ginger," Merlin muttered grumpily.

"Oh," Lancelot said, slightly put off by Merlin's mood. "So, last time I was here we talked a lot about me, but I would love to know more about you."

"Not much to tell, really," he brushed off the question. "Is your tea getting cold? My tea is getting cold, it was sitting on the counter for a few minutes before you arrived."

"Actually—"

"Let me heat that up for you," Merlin interrupted, grabbing the cup from Lancelot's hands and moving to the kitchen before he could protest. " _Ácennan ingemnyd_ ," he whispered into the cup, then a brief spell to raise the temperature a few degrees. He turned around. "There we go, all better."

He handed the cup back to Lancelot. "Thank you." Merlin sat down and watched again as he took a sip.

Nothing happened.

"Bloody hell," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Lancelot asked.

"Nothing." Merlin smiled innocently.

It was quiet for another moment.

"So, Merlin, how has your day been?" Gwen asked, breaking the silence that had stretched just a bit too long.

"Same old," he answered, still staring at Lancelot. "Would you like some sugar in your tea, Lance? I know how you young people like sweet things. I'm going to put sugar in your tea," Merlin declared, snatching Lancelot's cup before he could get any words out.

As he entered the kitchen he heard Lancelot whispering to Gwen. "Is your godfather okay?"

 _Great. Now I'm a crazy old man._

He put a pinch of cloves and a few drops of lemon juice into the tea and whispered another spell. " _Blétsunga gemyndful_."

He brought the tea back and handed it to Lancelot. "Thanks."

He took a sip.

Nothing happened.

Well, he made a face, but that was probably more due to flavor than memories of being a medieval knight.

But then he set his tea down and gripped his head with both hands as if he had a headache. Gwen and Merlin exchanged excited looks and watched him with rapture.

It was silent for a few seconds, then, "Dog."

There was another few seconds of silence. "Excuse me?" Gwen asked.

"Dog," Lancelot answered, looking up. His face was a mixture of confusion and worry, like he was on the verge of a freak out. "My first word was dog," he said, as if that explained everything. Gwen was starting to look concerned. "I—I remember, I mean my mother always told me it was dog, but now I _remember_. Like, I remember being 11 months old and saying the word dog, even though I didn't really know what a dog was."

Gwen shot Merlin a look. She placed her hand on Lancelot's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Lancelot looked up at her and continued in the same haunted voice. "When I was one and a half, my favorite stuffed animal got lost and I was so upset. How do I remember this? What's wrong with me? I shouldn't remember this."

He was clutching Gwen's hand now and looked on the verge of hyperventilating. Gwen looked at Merlin. "What did you do to him?" she snapped.

 _Whoops._

"Well, it was a memory spell. I guess, it just didn't bring back the right memories," Merlin said.

"Well fix him!" Gwen shouted.

"What are you guys talking about?" Lancelot asked, looking like a lost puppy.

Gwen tried to comfort him and while his attention was on her, Merlin grabbed his tea and whispered a quick incantation. " _Manian_." He stood and held the tea in front of Lancelot, urging him to take it. "Here, have some tea, it will calm you down."

"I really don't think that will help—"

"No, it will. I promise."

"No, I—"

"Just drink the damn tea!" Merlin exclaimed. Had Lancelot not been going through the trauma of vividly remembering his early childhood, he probably wouldn't have obeyed. As it was, he flinched at the loud tone and meekly accepted the tea. He took a shaky sip and set the tea back on the table.

Then, his head rolled back and he slumped in his seat.

"Lance? _Lance?"_ Gwen called out worriedly, standing up. She turned to Merlin. "What did you do?"

"Gwen, calm down. He's just unconscious," Merlin assured.

"He's not supposed to be unconscious, he's supposed to be remembering his past life!" she yelled.

"Well it's not my fault that ancient sorcerers have a tendency to be annoyingly vague when writing spell books!"

"What if he doesn't wake up? What if—"

"Guys?" asked a groggy voice.

"Lance," Gwen sighed in relief.

"Guinevere? Merlin?" he asked, sounding dazed.

"Yes?" Gwen asked, sounding hopeful.

"I—I don't, uh, I— What—"

"Are you remembering, Lancelot?" Merlin asked gently.

"Lancelot… My name is Lancelot." He looked up. "I—I remember, Camelot and…and," he said with a grin and a slightly hysterical laugh. He stood up. "Gwen," he said and wrapped her in a hug. But then he quickly pulled back and his smile was gone. "But what about...Arthur?"

Gwen's smile vanished as well. "I...I don't know. Look," she explained at his questioning face, "It's been a confusing week. I'm sure you noticed how odd I've been acting, but it's just, I have some very conflicting memories right now and I'm trying to sort it all out, but-"

"Gwen, it's alright," Lancelot interrupted. "It's fine…I understand. You love Arthur very much," he said with a strained smile.

"No, that's not it, Lance. I mean, I did–do love Arthur, but I love you too. I just need some time to figure everything out."

Lancelot grabbed Gwen's hands and held them gently. "I see. Take all the time you need Gwen," he said, raising her hands to his lips and giving them a gentle kiss.

Gwen smiled sweetly back. "Thank you."

Merlin let out a not so subtle cough, reminding the couple that he was still there.

Lancelot turned to Merlin with a big smile. "Merlin!" He pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you, old friend." He looked him up and down as he pulled back. "That's...you-you're so… old. Why are you so old?" he asked with a laugh.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle, Lancelot's excitement was contagious. "It's a long story. One that we can tell you now that you remember."

A few days had passed and Gwen and lance had been awkwardly avoiding each other, at least, as much as was possible when you lived together.

Lance felt like he was waiting for the inevitable to happen. Gwen would eventually sit down and tell him that she loved him, but she just couldn't forget Arthur and now that he was coming back she would wait for him because now they could be together again. There was no other possible outcome.

And that's clearly why she's avoiding him, because she can't think of how to put it nicely. How to let him down gently.

And it wouldn't work. No matter what she said he would be heartbroken, there was no avoiding that.

But he was tired. Tired of them dancing around each other and the elephant in the room. He was ready to get it over. He didn't want Gwen to worry about it more than she had to because he had no expectations and he didn't want her to think he had any expectations.

"Gwen," he called from the couch.

She looked up from where she was attending the plants in their apartment. "Yes?"

"We need to talk."

She swallowed and averted her eyes. "Yes, we do."

She got up and sat down next to him on the couch. "Look, Lance…I love you—"

"But you love Arthur more," he finished. He reached forward and grasped her hands in his. "Gwen, I understand, I think—"

"That's not what I was going to say," she interrupted. He looked at her. "I do love Arthur. But…things are different now. I'm not Guinevere, Queen of Camelot, anymore. For the past 27 years I have lead a completely different life and I mean, I'm still _me_ , but I'm a different person. And I'm sure the same applies to Arthur, hell, applies to all of us. I just think, the me I am now doesn't love Arthur the way I used to. And…to be honest, the flame of romance between me and Arthur…settled a bit as we grew older and turned into a more…wholesome love, and less romantic."

Gwen moved her hands atop his and held them firmly. "But what I feel for you now, and even back then, is very real. And I'm not willing to give that up.

"I choose you, Lance."

Lance was quiet for a moment, letting everything she said sink in. Then, he smiled. It was small, and loving, and when he looked at Gwen she had the same smile on her face. "I'm happy to hear that."

* * *

Notes: Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated. :)

Poor Lance.

So the spells I used are not from the show, I made them up. I found out that the spells are in old English so I used these translators ( . /, ~modean52/oeme_ ) to make my own. here are the translations (also, I don't speak old English and the translators were a bit confusing, so these might not actually make sense):

Restore memories – gebreadian gemynda

Bring forth memory – ácennan ingemnyd

Blessings of good memory – blétsunga gemyndful

Remember what should not be forgotten – manian

Also, I made Gwen and Lance a couple because I ship them because as far as I'm concerned, Gwen would've chosen Lancelot had he not made the choice for her by leaving.

Also, more on the underground secret vaults later.

Next chapter is Gaius.


	3. Chapter 3 - Gaius

Merlin was sitting at the café around the corner from his apartment like he did every Monday and Friday morning. Currently, it the Monday following the weekend in which Lancelot remembered.

Merlin had had a lot to think about ever since meeting Gwen a little more than a week ago. Something was about to happen, something big. And Merlin had absolutely no idea what it might be. He was almost always on edge now, waiting for disaster to strike, following the news more closely for signs and suspicious activity.

He tried to keep up his usual routines until something happened, but he couldn't relax when he was in public anymore. He couldn't enjoy his daily walks and outings when he was constantly scanning the crowds for familiar faces, hoping for friends and fearing of enemies. The knights were coming back, so who's to say someone like Morgana or Morgause wouldn't also come back stronger than ever and with a vendetta?

A jingling of bells drew his attention to the door where an elderly man walked through the door. Merlin was about to go back to gazing out the window when he did a double take.

He looked back at the man and studied him as he walked to the counter to make his order. He was wearing a pair of khaki slacks and a grey sweater over a red shirt. There was no mistaking who it was.

It was Gaius.

He looked different, he was bald and wore black, thick-rimmed glasses, but it was definitely Gaius.

Merlin watched in shock as Gaius went up to the counter and ordered something, and then walked over to a table by the window after the barista handed him his drink. He wasn't really sure what to do now or how to go about this situation. Did he just go up and say hi? Did he wait until Gaius leaves and then follow him somewhere more secluded?

 _Well, no time like the present,_ Merlin decided.

He picked up his coffee and made his way to where Gaius was sitting and looking out the window. "Would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked.

Gaius looked up, startled. He took a quick glance around, probably trying to find out why Merlin wanted to sit with him, but couldn't find a reason, but being the polite gentleman that he was, he simply said, "Please, take a seat."

Merlin took the seat and they sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. He tried to think of a way to start a conversation and eventually settled on, "What are you drinking?"

Gaius looked slightly surprised that he spoke. "Just plain black coffee, anything with too much sugar is bad for my health."

"Oh," he replied mildly. More silence. Merlin looked around to make sure no one was watching. "Look at that bird out there!" he exclaimed pointing out the window behind Gaius.

Gaius turned in his seat and Merlin quickly whispered, " _manian_ ," at Gaius' drink before he turned back around. "I don't see any bird," he said with furrowed eyebrows.

"That's because it just flew off," Merlin said matter-of-factly. Gaius raised his eyebrow the same way he used to when he didn't believe Merlin's lies, but he refrained from saying anything.

Gaius took a sip of his coffee and started coughing and choking on his drink. It occurred to Merlin in that moment that the spell had caused Lancelot to pass out and he hoped nothing like that happened to Gaius. Or worse.

But thankfully, Gaius seemed to get his coughing under control and took a deep breath before finally stopping. He looked at Merlin with a bewildered expression. " _Merlin?_ "

"Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed with a large grin.

"Merlin," Gaius said with an equally large grin, but it dimmed a bit as he spoke more. "But–but I–I was– and you–you were… What happened, Merlin?"

Merlin paused, thinking how best to word this. "Well it's a long story, but basically I'm immortal and I've lived since the days of Camelot, but now the knights are coming back and I think it's because we are about to face the greatest threat we've ever had to face," he let out in one breath.

Gaius raised both his eyebrows, trying to think which part of that to address first. "The knights?"

"Well, technically Guinevere was first to remember and then she brought Lance over because they're dating and I found a spell to make him remember and her brother Elyan will presumably remember as well, but he's on a trip so we have to wait for him to get back, and then I bumped into you a put a spell on your coffee so you'd remember and I can only assume that we'll soon find Arthur and the other knights as well."

"Hm," Gaius said, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "And what about this 'greatest threat?' What is it?"

He sighed. "Honestly, I'm pretty clueless. But Kilgharrah said that Arthur would rise again when Albion's need is greatest. I haven't seen Arthur yet, but I feel reasonably confident that he's out there and when the time is right, we'll find him and everyone else, which means something's coming."

"You're probably right. But are you sure you have no idea what could be coming?"

"Well, ever since Gwen remembered about a week ago, I've keeping a closer watch on the news and my surroundings for anything that might be happening, but unless we're facing global warming, I haven't seen anything too suspicious."

"Well, we'll just have to keep watching then." Gaius suddenly closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple, like he had a really bad headache.

"Gaius, are you alright? I'm sure it's a lot to take in, remembering a whole other life. Maybe you should go home and get some rest and we can talk more about this in a day or two," Merlin said worriedly.

Gaius waved off his concern. "I'll be fine, I've been through worse. Besides, this is more important."

"No really, Gaius—"

"I'm fine, Merlin," he asserted.

Merlin sighed. "If you say so."

"So, you said that you've been alive since Camelot? You were not…reincarnated? Like the rest of us?"

"No. I'll be turning 1,493 in three months," he stated. "I've just been here, waiting for Arthur. I've traveled a bit, but I mostly just stay here. Most people don't take much notice of an old man, so I don't usually have to worry about people getting suspicious as long as I keep a low profile."

"Sounds lonely," Gaius said in a carefully neutral tone.

"Yeah, sometimes," he said quietly, then, in a brighter tone, "I do have a pet tortoise to keep me company. Her name is Freya."

Gaius smiled. "I do have one last question."

"What?"

"Why do you look like that?"

Merlin looked down at himself and realized Gaius was talking about his age. "I'm 1,500 years old, what's your excuse?"

Gaius frowned disapprovingly. "I _meant_ , why do you look so old when you could probably change that with your magic."

Merlin sighed. "Well, it may come as a shock, but I'm great at learning and performing spells, but making my own? Not so much."

"Really?

"Simple spells are one thing," Merlin explained, "like I made one that keeps bath water at the perfect temperature—course, it was more useful before showers, now I mostly use it for tea. But the point is, harder, more complex spells, I'm just not good at creating them."

"Well surely there are other sorcerers who have made youth spells."

"Yes and No. I mean, people have tried, obviously, everyone wants the fountain of youth, but very few have been successful."

"But there have been successes?"

"I don't know. I've tried a lot of spells and obviously, none have worked."

"But there _are_ spells you haven't tried?" Gaius pushed.

"Yes, but unless you want me forcing my soul into another body or drinking the blood of babies every full moon, I'm not going to," Merlin said, putting an end to that line of questioning.

Gaius furrowed his eyebrows and was about to suggest something else when Merlin interrupted him. "Look, Gaius, it's not a big deal. I've been old far longer than I've been young and I've gotten used to it. Would I like to be young? Of course, but we've got bigger problems right now."

"That may be so, but I'm not giving up just yet. While I'm sure your magic is proficient enough for many things, a young and more physically able body might help a lot more than you think for facing any upcoming threats."

"Thank you, Gaius. You're welcome to keep looking into it. In fact, I was thinking of taking a trip while things are still quiet to my secret vaults," Merlin said with a gleam in his eye.

"Secret vaults?" Gaius asked, now quite interested.

"Well, you know, I've collected a lot of spell books and magic artifacts and relics over the years," he replied casually. "And I was thinking, some of them might come in handy in the near future."

"How many of these vaults do you have?"

"Quite a few actually, I don't like to keep too many things in one place in case someone finds one and steals stuff, or worse, uses it."

"That's smart."

"Yeah. They're all in isolated areas, mostly where civilization hasn't reached yet and they have enchanted entrances, so you'd need magic and the spell I created to see and unlock them, though that probably wouldn't stop the more determined. I have some more basic and mundane stuff in my closet-turned-library at home, but all the dangerous and more high-level stuff are in my vaults."

"Well, I think we should definitely take a look. I'm quite excited," Gaius said with a grin.

"Yeah," Merlin replied with a smile. "So, what's happened in your life? No offense, but you're getting on in years so why haven't we met until now?"

"Well, up until about two months ago I was living in Glasgow. I was born in London, but my family moved there when I was ten. I intended to return to London when I was old enough, but I met Alice while studying at university. So, I settled down there, became a doctor. We never had any kids and she passed away ten years ago. I moved here because I was ready for a change of scenery, though I suppose it might not've been my idea after all."

"That sounds nice," he said wistfully. "I'm happy you've had such a good life. Until now I suppose."

"Merlin," Gaius chastised. "Having you back is one of the best things to happen to me."

Merlin smiled. "Having you and everyone else back…it's pretty good too."

He didn't say it out loud, but Merlin felt an overwhelming wave of relief at seeing Gaius. He had matured a lot in his long lifetime and handled many situations, magical or otherwise without Gaius. In fact, his knowledge of all things magic must've far surpassed Gaius' at this point, but there was something comforting in his presence. He didn't feel quite so alone anymore. Not that he couldn't rely on Gwen and Lancelot to help him, but they just couldn't help the same way Gaius could.

They shared a quiet moment of sentiment. "So," Gaius started, "what about you? 1,500 years? I'm sure you have more interesting stories than some old kook."

* * *

Notes: Thank you for reading, comments are much appreciated. :)

In case you're wondering, they all live in Cardiff. The most popular theory for the location of Camelot is in Caerleon, but the town is a bit small, so I put them in the nearest bigger city which happens to be Cardiff.

Next chapter is Gwaine.


	4. Chapter 4 - Gwaine

Notes: I am sooooo sorry the hiatus took so long. I thought it would only be a few months and I would continue this story in, like, February. But, as an apology, I have two new chapters.

Also, part of what took me so long was that I went back and edited the chapters I had already published and there's no huge differences to the plot but I did change some of Gwen and Lancelot's interactions so I would suggest you go and reread those chapters first.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Merlin was walking down a crowded street, deep in thought about everything that was happening. He was frustrated, he wasn't any closer to an answer of what was going to happen than he was the day he first bumped into Gwen.

There was nothing. Aside from your basic corrupt politicians and world leaders, there was nothing, no one that seemed like they could possibly be a threat on the scale Merlin was expecting.

It didn't help that Merlin wasn't sure what to expect, just that it would be big and hopefully he would know it when he saw it.

Just then, a man bumped into his shoulder and he briefly turned to look back just as the man did and then froze.

"Merlin?" he asked incredulously.

"Gwaine?" Merlin asked equally incredulous.

 _No way. He remembers? How much? For how long? Does he-_

Then Gwaine scrunched his eyes shut and held a hand to his forehead, as if he had a headache. "How-How do you know my name?" he asks accusingly.

 _Or not._

"And how do I know _your_ name?" he asked panickedly, though perhaps with less panic than most people would be feeling. Rather, there was more confusion in his tone than concern.

Merlin sighed. He needed to come up with something quick and get Gwaine somewhere private where he could cast the memory spell.

"Um…we've met before…at a thing, don't you remember?"

Gwaine looked like he had no idea what Merlin was talking about, but was trying to remember.

There was a cafe about ten minutes away that he might be able to get Gwaine into, but his apartment was closer and he could whip up a drink much faster. Merlin made a flash decision.

He linked his arms with Gwaine and started walking forward, back towards his apartment. "Come with me, Gwaine, and I'll tell you about it."

It was mostly surprise that had Gwaine going with him so easily. "Wait a minute, hold on, I'm not going anywhere with you," he exclaimed, coming to a stop.

Merlin groaned. "Goddammit, Gwaine," he mumbled. "Gwaine," he said, looking him straight in the eye, "come with me."

Reluctantly, he started moving again, but his confusion was evident. Merlin may or may not have infused some magic in his words so that Gwaine would want to comply, which would be cause for confusion.

"Wait, so if we've met before, that explains why _you_ know _my_ name, but why do _I_ know _your_ name if I don't remember you?"

"Um... Flash memory!" Merlin exclaimed. "Yeah, it's when you forget something, but, uh, you subconsciously remember it and then you see something that triggers the memory, and then stuff just comes back to you, like a flash! That's why it's called flash memory. But you don't always remember everything so it also seems kinda random," he explained.

Gwaine looked contemplative and slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I've heard that."

Merlin wasn't sure whether to roll his eyes or be thankful that Gwaine bought his lie.

So, it was a combination of Gwaine's subconscious trust and Merlin's steadily reinforced commands that saw them into Merlin's apartment five minutes later. It also helped that Gwaine was distracted by asking more questions about "flash memory" that Merlin struggled to answer.

"Alright, Gwaine, go sit on the couch while I make us some tea."

"Okay," he complied easily.

 _Only Gwaine_ , he thought, _this kind of light magic would only work on Gwaine. Anyone else would need a much stronger dose of magic._

Nevertheless, Merlin smiled at his friend who was just how he remembered. Even physically, where everybody else had slight changes, Gwaine hadn't changed a bit.

He quickly filled two cups with water before heating them up with a spell, sticking a tea bag in each, whispering the memory spell into one of them, and then walking back into the living room and handing the charmed cup to Gwaine.

"Wow, I have never seen someone make tea that fast," Gwaine claimed, looking impressed.

Merlin fought back a groan and forced a smile on his face. "It's a gift," he agreed quickly. "Go ahead, drink up."

He tried not to stare to hard as Gwaine brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip.

Immediately his face scrunched up in disgust and he dropped the cup. Merlin quickly stopped it with magic before it could fall too far and spill everywhere. He hurried to grab it and put it on the table. Luckily, Gwaine didn't seem to notice. He still looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth, but he also looked like he just took a dose of some really strong drugs.

To be fair, magic was one hell of a drug.

"Gwaine?" Merlin asked tentatively. "You alright? Are you maybe...remembering things?"

"What did you put in that tea? It's-" he stopped to cough, "bloody awful."

"Yes, yes, but are you feeling…anything strange? Like maybe having vivid and complex memories of a past life in Middle Ages where you were a knight for King Arthur?" Merlin asked, staring intently at him.

Gwaine looked like Merlin had just lost his marbles, which, fair, because to Gwaine he just looked like a crazy old man. "That's…oldly specific," he managed with another cough.

Merlin let out an angry huff. "Just an example."

"You know, I have a thing to get to, so I'm just going to..." he trailed pointing towards the door.

Merlin started to panic as Gwaine stood up, but he immediately wobbled and clutched his head. "What the-" he mumbled before collapsing to the floor.

Everything was silent for a moment. "Gwaine?" Merlin called. No answer. He groaned in frustration. "Bloody hell, Gwaine," he grumbled as he stood then crouched down next to him.

He pushed the table away a few feet to have room. He turned Gwaine over so that he was on his back. "Gwaine?" Merlin called again, giving a few light slaps to his cheek. "Gwaine," he called louder.

He picked up his cup of tea, reciting a spell to make it cold before pouring it over Gwaine.

The effect was immediate as Gwaine sprang up with heavy breathing and wide eyes, frantically wiping tea from his face. He looked around, gaze catching on Merlin who was watching carefully. "I- you-" he spluttered.

"Deep breaths, Gwaine," Merlin said gently.

Gwaine worked to control his erratic breathing, and then broke into a smile. "Merlin!" he exclaimed joyously.

"Gwaine!" Merlin said, laughing, Gwaine's excitement contagious.

He stood up and helped pull Gwaine to feet where he was immediately pulled into a tight bear hug. "Oh my God, Merlin," he said, pulling back. "I- I mean- you and-" he stuttered looking overwhelmed but happy.

"It's alright, Gwaine, I'll explain everything," he promised.

"Alright, just one question first."

"Sure."

"Why do you look like the evil sorcerer that lived near Camelot?"

* * *

Notes: Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated :)

Next chapter is Percival


	5. Chapter 5 - Percival

"So, you've been a sorcerer this whole time?" Gwaine asked.

"Yes, Gwaine, unless you missed the entire point of my explanation," Merlin replied tiredly.

"And you're not actually evil?"

"No, it was through a series of misunderstandings by which I _appeared_ evil," he enunciated.

They were both seated on the couch at this point and Merlin was telling him everything. Or, at least, an abridged version of everything.

But Gwaine seemed to interrupt every other minute to ask questions or to disagree or to input his own opinions and it was driving Merlin nuts. It was like telling a story to a five-year-old.

He had texted Gwen a little while ago, so hopefully everyone would be there soon to help explain what Merlin couldn't.

"Okay, so, you've been alive all this time-though I'm still not sure I believe that-"

"I've already proved I have magic-"

"Magic and immortality are two very different things, Merlin."

"Oh, because you're such an expert on magic?" Merlin asked sarcastically.

Gwaine looked offended. "Anyway, as I was saying, you've been alive all this time and I've been reincarnated, but what about the others?"

Merlin smiled. "I was just getting to that, you see, you are not the first person to have been reincarnated. Gwen, Lancelot, and Gaius are actually on their way here right now."

"Really? And, um...none of the others?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, not yet, but we hope to find them soon," he reassured.

"Well, actually, um-"

He was interrupted by the door suddenly swinging open with the entrance of Gwen, Lancelot, and Gaius.

"Gwaine!" Gwen exclaimed, running and catching him in a big hug.

"Gwen," he replied, eyes wide as he gently returned the hug.

She pulled back. "Oh, Gwaine, it's so good to see you," she said.

"You too, my lady," he returned charmingly.

"Oh, no. None of that 'my lady' stuff. Here, I'm just Gwen," she chastised.

Gwaine gave a sweeping bow. "You shall always be a queen to me," he said suavely.

"If you're done flirting with my girlfriend, I'd like to say hello," Lancelot cut in.

"Lancelot! C'mere my friend!" Gwaine said, holding his arms wide, pulling Lancelot into a tight hug, both with wide smiles on their face.

The both pulled back and Lancelot stepped away, but neither could stop smiling. "Gaius," Gwaine said with a polite node in his direction.

Gaius returned the nod with a small smile. "Gwaine."

"It is so wonderful to see you all again, you have no idea," Gwaine said with a laugh.

"I think we have some idea," countered Gwen. "Everyone just keeps popping up, it's amazing. We also know Elyan, but he's abroad right now, but he should be back in about two weeks."

"That's great, Gwen," Gwaine said softly. "I know how much you must have missed him."

Gwen gave him a gentle smile, a look of sorrow briefly passing through her eyes, but then she brightened again. "Yes, but I have him now, and I won't let anything happen to him."

"Good. So…have you found anyone else?"

"No." answered Merlin. "Honestly, we're not even sure who will come back."

"Well, about that..." he trailed off.

"What is it?" asked Gaius.

"I, um...I might know where Percival is," Gwaine said, almost shyly.

"Really? That's great. Where is he?" Lancelot asked excitedly.

"At our apartment. We live together," he replied hesitantly. "He's...kind of my...boyfriend."

Nobody reacted for a few seconds and Gwaine couldn't meet anyone's eyes. Then Merlin smiled and said, "Ha! I always knew there was something there."

It was like Merlin's comment broke the brief tension and everybody started teasing and congratulating him and Gwaine slipped back to his old self, bragging about their wonderful relationship, glad for everyone's acceptance.

"So how soon can you get him over?" Merlin asked once they had all calmed down.

Gwaine thought about it for a moment before replying, "Well, he actually has today off, so I suppose I could call him right now?"

"That would be great," Gwen agreed.

Gwaine called him on the phone and quickly told him to come over, giving the address and telling him not to ask questions and that it was a surprise. He ended the call and looked back to everyone. "He's one his way."

About 15 minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Gwaine went to answer it. He pulled a very skeptical-looking Percival into the room who only grew more nervous when he saw the odd group currently occupying the room. "Gwaine, what is this?" he asked, trying—but failing—to hide his anxiousness.

"Before I answer that, how about a cup of tea?" Gwaine offers, practically shoving the small cup into Percival's large hands.

"Gwaine, I really don't think-"

"Just drink the tea and I think all your questions will be answered," Gwaine assured.

Percival looked down at the cup and back at Gwaine. He raised an eyebrow, but Gwaine only made encouraging movements towards the cup. He sighed, but looked resigned. He cautiously brought the cup to his lips, hesitated a few seconds, and then drank some. He immediately pulled the cup away as he gave into a coughing fit. Merlin quickly took the cup from him and placed it on the counter while Gwaine went to Percival, patting him roughly on the back a few times.

When Percival could finally breath again, he looked up into Gwaine's face with a look of wonderment.

"Gwaine?" he asked shakily.

"Do you remember, Percy?" Gwaine asked.

Percival nodded and his face broke into a happy grin. Gwaine pulled him into a tight hug and pulled back only enough to place a hard, quick kiss on Percival's lips. Then Percival let go of Gwaine and faced everyone else in the room, all with large smiles of their own.

"Lancelot! Gwen! Gaius!" He exclaimed turning to each person in the room. His expression became confused when he turned to Merlin. "Merlin?"

"That's me," Merlin said.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you look so...old. Why aren't you young like the rest of us?"

"Well, Percival, it's a long story. Now, both of you sit down so I can explain everything."

* * *

Merlin sat on the small stool that stood next to the large turtle table in his room. "Oh, Freya. I think I understand how Gaius feels. I'm too old to keep up with young people. It's nice to have them all back, it almost felt like old times, but I'm exhausted in a way I never was when I was young," he complained, placing fresh dandelions in his tortoise's food bowl. It was late at night now, and everybody had gone home a little while ago after hours of catching up about their current and previous lives.

Merlin turned on the stool to face out the window, watching as cars drove by on the street below, pedestrians illuminated by street lights and passing headlights. He looked up at the moon and the few stars he could see. He missed the times when he could take a short trek from Camelot and look up and see the whole galaxy, no light polluting the view.

He let his thoughts wonder to someone he had been trying not to think about too much.

Arthur.

Merlin was glad for the return of all his friends, overjoyed really. But it hadn't been them he had waited 1500 years for. It wasn't for them that he endured the solitude, the loss of everyone he held dear, the countless years spent searching for an answer. It was for Arthur.

Arthur, who must've been practically on his door step by now, given the proximity of the others. He wasn't going to just appear out of nowhere, he was going to show up one day, having lived a life without Merlin ever knowing about it.

How had this happened? How have all of his friends lived and grown up, right under his nose, without Merlin noticing?

He had grown lazy, that's how. After so long, he stopped looking so closely at the people around him, just let all those faces blur into the crowd. How many times had Gwen passed him as a little girl, hanging on to her mother's arm? How many times had a teenage Gwaine raced pass him, hurrying home from school?

Logically, Merlin knew it wasn't his fault. That fate had a way of doing what it wanted, how it wanted, and that it would work itself out in the end. But he couldn't help but feel like he had failed in some way.  
Merlin took a deep breath.

 _Well, I won't fail again. I'm going to find you, Arthur, and anybody else out there._

* * *

Notes: Thanks for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated :)

Next chapter is super secret mystery guest


	6. Chapter 6 - Kilgharrah

Notes:

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update!

I don't really have any good excuse other than I just haven't felt as motivated to write lately, but the past few days I've been more inspired to write, so we'll see how long it lasts. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because honestly, I don't have a plan for what's going to happen in the next three chapters beyond which characters they'll be about. Also, I started another fic (because I hate myself) so I'll be working on that and my other WIP.

It's a short chapter, but please enjoy!

* * *

Merlin shivered slightly as he was blasted with ac and the smell of plastic as he walked through the doors of PetMart. He took in the familiar layout, the pile of dog beds in the front, the large advertisements full of cute cats and dogs, the murmur of the fish tanks in the back mixed with the sound of the fans.

"Hello sir, can I help you with anything today?" A young woman asked as he walked past the entrance.

Merlin smiled politely. "Thank you, but I'm fine," he replied. He walked towards the back of the store where they kept the fish and reptile supplies. He looked at all the fish swarming in the tanks, some following him as he passed. He made his way to the caging supplies isle, looking for more bedding for Freya.

 _Merlin_

A voice called out and Merlin stopped and looked around. There was a man at the end of the wall of fish tanks, but he seemed absorbed in the fish. He looked around more but there was nobody.

 _Merlin_

It came again, but this time Merlin realized it wasn't being said out loud. It was directly in his head. A druid?

But that voice. That voice was so familiar. It was a voice that he hadn't heard in hundreds of years. Hadn't expected to hear it ever again.

 _Merlin,_ the voice called a third time.

"Don't tell me there's an underground cavern under the pet store," he muttered to himself.

He was just about to look around again, maybe find a back door, when he stopped. A few isles down were the cages that held the lizards. And one was staring right him.

 _Merlin_

"No way."

Merlin walked toward the isle, walked toward the lizard. He thought he must be imagining things, that this lizard just happened to be looking in his direction, that it was just a lizard. It couldn't possibly be...

But when was anything just what it seemed?

He stopped in front of the tank, looking around to make sure no one could see him trying to talk to a lizard like an idiot. He looked back to the tank, at the lizard staring back at him. The lizard opened its mouth.

"Hello, young warlock," the lizard said, raising his head and chest proudly.

"Kilgharrah?" he asked hesitantly, though there was no doubt in his mind.

"Yes, it is I, your old friend," he replied serenely, seeming to puff out his chest. Almost...preening?

He couldn't help it, he really couldn't, but it was too much. Merlin burst out laughing. He tried to quiet himself, to not seem like a crazy old man laughing at lizards in the pet store. He was soon reduced to giggles that just wouldn't stop.

"Why are you laughing?" the lizard demanded angrily. "What is so funny, Merlin?"

Merlin tried to talk through his laughter. "I-I'm sorry, I, it's just…you…" He couldn't finish.

"What!" Kilgharrah cried.

Merlin forced himself to stop laughing. "You're a lizard," he said through chuckles.

Kilgharrah stared for a moment. "Yes, I'm quite aware that I'm a lizard," he spat, as if Merlin were simple.

"No, it's just, you're the 'Great Dragon,' big and mighty, and now you're just...a lizard." He started laughing again. Kilgharrah seemed to huff in annoyance.

"Just because my form is different does not mean that I am any less great," he stated defensively.

"Yeah, but you're huffing and puffing your chest out and posing only you're not a dragon anymore, you're a lizard and it's just, it's a little silly."

"I am not silly," he roared. Or, it would've have been a roar if he were a dragon. Now, it lacked the same impact. "This is no time for laughing, young warlock. You must get me out of here."

Merlin started cackling all over again.

"What is it this time?" Kilgharrah bit out.

"You're a _pet._ You are a lizard living in a pet store, there is nothing about this that isn't funny," he replied, nearly doubling over from laughter.

Kilgharrah hissed-something which might've been quite scary a thousand years ago, but only served to make Merlin laugh harder. Kilgharrah stared at Merlin, looking as unimpressed as a lizard can, until he eventually got his laughter under control. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being very disrespectful. I'll get you out."

Merlin looked for the sign for his cage and froze.

"What?" Kilgharrah asked worriedly, seeing Merlin's face.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh…" Merlin chanted under his breath.

"What? What is it?" Kilgharrah demanded.

Merlin looked at him, biting his lip to repress a smile. "Trust me, you don't want me to say anything."

"Just out with it already."

Merlin cracked a smile. "You, um...You're a...a bearded dragon." Merlin laughed. "A bearded _dragon!_ " Kilgharrah sighed as Merlin started a new laughing fit. "Come on, that's funny," Merlin claimed, "Fate sucks but sometimes it has quite the sense of humor." He laughed. He could barely get his next statement out. "Maybe in your next life you'll be a dragonfly."

"Merlin!" Kilgharrah shouted.

Merlin held back his laughter. "Sorry, sorry. Let me go ask one of the employees about you." He walked back towards the front of the store. "I've never had a lizard," he muttered, thinking about all the things he would have to buy now.

* * *

Gaius stood, looking down at the cage where Kilgharrah sat. It was a nice cage, very large with lots of rocks and mounds, a bright sunning area, a small pool.

Gaius was giggling. He was giggling which in turn caused Merlin, standing right next to him, to giggle, which in turn caused Kilgharrah to be very cranky.

"That is quite enough giggling," he snapped. "Yes, I'm a lizard. Yes, fate has quite the sense of irony. There are more important matters to discuss." He raised his upper body in a defensive pose. Probably meant to be intimidating.

Both Merlin and Gaius sobered up at that. "Yes," Gaius agreed, "There are more pressing matters. Do you have any idea why we are all coming back? What we might be facing? Anything at all?"

Kilgharrah was silent. "...I'm afraid not. I have lived a very short life in this body and been in captivity the whole time. I have very little knowledge of this world."

Merlin sputtered. "But you're _you_ , you always know everything. How can you not know?" he exclaimed.

"Nobody knows everything, Merlin," the lizard chided.

"But you must know something!"

"Merlin, as you have remarked earlier, I am not a dragon anymore. I do not have the same powers I once had," he intoned. "I can help you with all the knowledge of my past life, but I cannot provide any new information."

"So you're useless, then?"

"Merlin!" Gaius chided.

Merlin looked to Gaius. "I don't need some lizard giving me vague advise anymore! I need to know what's going to happen!" he shouted. "I need to find Arthur," he finished quietly.

Kilgharrah sighed. "All will reveal itself in time. Patience, young warlock."

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but Gaius put a hand up to stop him. "If he doesn't know anything, there's nothing we can do about it but continue on as we have before."

Merlin took a deep breath. "I just want to be prepared, but there's not much I can do until I know what we're up against."

"We all want that, Merlin," Gaius replied.

"But I can do more than you, more than any of you. I can prepare spells and potions and charms and all manner of things, but I can't prepare if I don't know what I'm preparing for."

"Well, you'll simply have to do what you can until you can do more," Kilgharrah said.

* * *

Later, after Gaius had left, Merlin sat next to Kilgharrah's tank. He rested his face on his arm on the side of the tank, putting in crickets. "You know I'm happy to have you back, right?" he said. "What I said earlier, I mean it's not untrue, but I am happy you're here. You were one of my closest friends. It's very...comforting to have you back. To have everyone back."

"I know, young warlock," Kilgharrah replied kindly. Merlin smiled. "Though I suppose I can't call you ' _young_ warlock' anymore, can I?"

Merlin chuckled. "No, it's not very accurate anymore. But you can still call me that if you like."

* * *

Notes:

Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated! :)

The next chapter will be Elyan.

Come talk to me on my tumblr, it's the same username


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